Single Cape mother, three kids homeless after alleged arson

A Cape Coral mom and her three kids can't go home Tuesday night after police say someone intentionally set her home on fire.

Now, Cape police are looking for help identifying one of the suspects.

The home was off NE 5th Place and Diplomat Parkway.

Convenience store images were released Tuesday of a person of interest in the burglary, arson, and aggravated stalking case.

Tocarra Lindsey said the damage in the home's bedroom is so bad from Sunday's fire that she can't live there anymore. In fact, she said the smoke damage was so bad upon going in the home on Monday that she had to go outside for fresh air after just five minutes.

"Oh my God, the bedroom is just completely black," said Lindsey. "I was just shocked."

Lindsey said her 16-year-old daughter received a threatening voice message on Saturday night, which prompted Lindsey and the children to leave. They stayed at a family member's house.

"Something just told me, and I know it was God, something just told me to leave," said Lindsey. "I just came home and my door was wide open."

Upon returning around 4 a.m. Sunday, Lindsey said she discovered the fire damage.

"Once I opened the door that's when it really got to me when I saw the room," she said. "Sometimes I have to literally like get in the car by myself and go drive without my kids because I don't want them to see me cry."

Police knocked on her neighbor Steve Woodard's front door.

"Woke me up out of a dead sleep," said Woodard. "It was pretty alarming."

They wanted to know if he'd seen anything.

"No, no, it was a dark foggy morning at 3 or 4 o' clock," said Woodard. "All I saw was several police cars."

An investigation is ongoing, but Cape police say Lindsey was being stalked by another man whom they've already identified and whom they also suspect had a hand in the weekend fire.

"I may just end up moving to another city, because he's still on the loose, whoever did this," said Lindsey.

A department spokesman said they have identified one suspect, but they aren't releasing that information yet.

The suspects were driving a new white Nissan Altima.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cape Coral Police Department at 239-574-3223. Tips can also be submitted to www.capecops.com/tips or via text (CCPD+"Your Message") to CRIMES (274637), or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.